Phone for use in South Africa on travel?

My son is traveling to South Africa this summer. Is there a prepaid phone we could buy in the U.S., that he could use to call back home to the U.S?

I'd suggest rather getting a "pay-as-you-go" sim card when he gets to SA. He'd be okay taking his US cell phone and buying an adaptor when he arrives. But just make sure he knows a local who is aware of the pitfalls and dangers of travelling in SA. Violent crime is rife in many places and many people do not feel safe even their own homes.

MarkySparky has subsequently said it in much plainer language regarding the dangers of visiting SA. There are indeed hordes of savage locals who think nothing of barbarically slaughtering people for personal monetary gain, however small that gain may be.

He really should not be going unless accompanied by someone who knows the country well-it's just sooooooo dangerous. The blacks hate whites and delight in murdering and raping.

We have 3 service providers in South Africa. They are MTN, Vodacom and Cell-C. A pay-as-you-go started pack - will include the sim card and some airtime - can be as cheap as one rand (R1). They are available at almost any store in South Africa. Some stores have vending machines selling airtime - you will get an access code to 'post' your airtime onto your sim card - ask help at the information desks. At other stores you simply buy airtime at the checkout tills.

The best thing to do is to get a sim card from SA. As the other answerers have said that is a pretty easy thing to do. However, I think most US prepaid phones will only work with the service provider you buy them from (T-mobile, Sprint etc) so you will have to ask when you buy the phone if you can use it with a different sim card. I would advise against international roaming with any US provider because the costs can be astronomical.